Phoenix a sign of hope for Cohasset antique store owner

Tuesday

Mar 11, 2014 at 4:15 AM

A phoenix emerging from the ashes again has special meaning for 808 Jerusalem Road after a three-alarm fire tore through Reflections Antique Emporium in mid-February, gutting much of the historic building.

Jessica Trufant The Patriot Ledger @JTrufant_Ledger

COHASSET – When it opened in the late 1800s, the colorful Victorian at West Corner was originally dubbed Phoenix Hall as an ode to the fire-ravaged building that previously stood in its place.
A phoenix emerging from the ashes again has special meaning for 808 Jerusalem Road after a three-alarm fire tore through Reflections Antique Emporium in mid-February, gutting much of the historic building.

The antique shop’s longtime owner Karin Gorman this past weekend finished painting a large phoenix in the store’s front window. Using solar-powered lights, the mural is lit at night as a sign of Gorman’s optimism that the building will be salvaged, either by a new buyer or through fundraising.

“It draws some attention to the building and gets people to think about it because there’s only so much I can do. My hands are tied otherwise,” Gorman said. “The more people come forward, the more likely we can save it.”

Gorman had a purchase-and-sale agreement on the building, but the transaction had not been not finalized and the store was still open. She failed to renew the property’s insurance policy, leaving her with nothing to rescue what’s left of the structure. Unless someone comes forward with some funding, the building will be torn down.

“I’ve been allowed to go back in the building, and it’s in pretty rough shape, but some areas are worse than others,” said Gorman, who purchased the property in 1994. “I was hoping it could be rebuilt, but of course I have no money.”

Gorman hopes the community will rally together to salvage the staple building, which housed a general store in the 1800s, and later a public library, town offices and an upholstery shop. It was assessed at $544,000, according to assessors’ records.

The front façade is in “great condition,” Gorman said, and parts of the first floor are mostly unscathed. “It’s mostly the back of the building and the roof,” she said. “But the building inspector is worried about public safety.”

Building Inspector Bob Egan on Monday said it’s his determination that the building is beyond repair, but that doesn’t necessarily mean its fate is sealed. “That’s not to say nothing could be done if someone came in with a lot of money and will, but I’m not sure the pieces are in place,” he said.

Egan said the remaining structure does not pose a serious threat right now, and the town will give Gorman at least a few weeks to remove anything she can from the building.

“There’s a certain timeline that has to be followed, but we’re trying to be considerate because obviously it’s devastating,” he said.

Since Gorman did not have an insurance policy and therefore may not have funding for the demolition, Egan said the town would ultimately have to take on the responsibility.

Gorman hopes to buy herself some time and raise enough money to secure the building until a decision can be made.

“Either way, the funding will help to keep it up or tear it down,” she said.